I let it get away from me again, didn’t I?

Let’s be honest: Not much newsworthy happens in my life. Each week looks mostly like the one before it. The big difference in the last few weeks is that I spent several of them very, very sick. Two rounds of the Death Blarg Of Blargish Death takes a lot out of you. Also, I burned through all of my “for-spending” tax refund money before the end of March. One shiny new 37″ flat-screen TV, one new computer full of LEDs, two flat-screen computer displays, and a bunch of random odds and ends later, and I have… more stuff. I did spend some of the money on important things, mind you… I own several more books than I did at the start of the year, for instance! I ran out of money before I could acquire a new bed, but, them’s the breaks.

Work is flying me to Vegas early in May for a vendor conference. I’m 100% not thrilled about flying, let alone to Vegas, in the Age Of Being Groped By Security Apes. But them’s the breaks. It should be an interesting conference, hopefully worth the indignity and bother.

The webcomic is winding up its second year of production, and I’m looking forward to taking a short break in May to recharge my creative batteries. I’ve also been reading up on photographic tricks and techniques, which I intend to put into practice going into Year Three. I also need to upgrade the shooting environment. In particular, my desktop is looking a bit the worse for wear.

My adorable rugrats are pretty much all grown up now. One’s most of the way through his first year at DigiPen up in the Seattle area, and the other is out of school and looking to start working so she can get out on her own. I’m proud of them both, albeit for wildly different reasons.

In addition to the usual couple-times-per-week diversion that comes from playing City of Heroes, some of my gaming time goes to Puzzle Quest 2. Think of it as Bejeweleder’s Gate, if you like: It’s a gem-matching game grafted onto a computer-RPG. That may sound absurd, but trust me, it works and it’s addictive as hell.

So… what about you? What’s new in your life this spring so far?

Downside: I went to get my taxes done today, to the tune of nearly-two-hundred-dollars to have a professional give everything the once-over it needs. (There are complications due to the divorce and, this year, due to Spud being a college lad.)

Upside: I’ve learned that having a fully-dependent child in college is good for your chances at a rebate. Quite good.

Funnyside: The great State of Oregon is giving me a refund this year (unlike last year, ugh)… a whopping, extravagant, don’t-spend-it-all-at-once… seven hundred… cents.

Downside: $40, and that was on sale.

Upside: Pants that fit. (Thank you, Levi Strauss.)

I received notice in the mail a few days ago indicating that my current Oregon state ID card is to expire on my forthcoming birthday. Having means, motive and opportunity now, I figured not to wait until late February to do anything about it.

So I gathered all of the bits and bobs needed. Social Security card? Check! State-issued, non-laminated birth certificate? Check! (Hospital-issued certs won’t cut it. No, I don’t know why.) Checkbook? Check! (They don’t take plastic.) Off I went, to the Oregon DMV “Express” over at Lloyd Mall.

The mall’s a much nicer place in the middle of a sunny school day, by the by.

The process itself went quickly, smoothly, painlessly (unless you count the $40 spent). On the other hand, two of my favorite things ever took place during my brief sojourn:

1. “Are you waiting in line, ma’am?” “…No.” “Oh! Sorry about that…” I must have that kind of face. Or something. Last time I got the “ma’am” treatment was at a Starbucks near work. Sigh.
2. “Carol?” “…Not quite.” It’s like being back in school all over again, when each new teacher (and there were many thanks to all of those address changes) couldn’t get my name right.

But hey, I’ll have a shiny new ID soon, and I won’t have to worry about this again until who-knows-when down the road…